What a wonder full day :)

Hi Every one :)
coooo what a wonderful wedding day for William and Kate or Catherine as she will be know now as ...the dress was simply gorgeous  and it was absolutely fantastic service and day all round :)


I was busy  after watching the service  dyeing ....  I decided the other day after reading so many peeps going on about it that I would have a go .. so off I went to get some fabbie to have a go with ... and the results are quite astounding to say the least ..lol 
I first made up a coffee brew , then a strong tea brew and finally a herbal brew which was a guess which tea bags I used ..lol I had opened up loads and popped them in a tin so it was pot luck what I got out heheh 

soooo here are the results of the said brews .....from left to right ... original fabric colours , coffee dyed , tea dyed and then the herbal dye :) sooo I can't wait to stitch something on them .....:)
while I was in a playing mood ..lol I got out the sewing machine and started to finish some of the finishes ..... I had quite a bit of fun going through my stash of sewing fabric trying to match up and see what worked best for each piece .... hopefully more will be done tomorrow  but here is the two I did today .......

Holly's n berries

home sweet home

Hope you like :) ....I made a inner pillow for the home sweet home and made the cover in an envelope finish at the back ...... while I was at it I lined the boxes I got following 
Lynn B's wonderful instructions :)  and even glued the stitching into the top of the box after giving myself a stern talking to saying if I messed it up I can always restitch it ..lol  haven't put the braid around just yet as still got to decide how to finish that bit up :)

large box lined in gold dupion silk 

middle box in bronze silk

so here these are .. I did put a tiny creamy gold cord inside the bottom of the larger box and it doesn't look too bad .... unfortunately I got a bit of glue on the bronze fabric and tried to clean off and ended up with a water mark .... mmmm this will be rectified somehow ..lol ....
 I have also made some cards and promised Parsley I would show  them soo  here they are too ..lol ... 


also talking of Parsley I think I have enabled  persuaded her to try some silk threads and by a small piece of hand dyed fabric to do a biscornu or small project on :) she has a trip to her local (90 mins drive away!! ) LNS coming up soon sooooo hopefully she will indulge heheheheh...... There is a very small bit of stitching update but haven't taken the photos DOH !!! I have almost finished the back of my UFO Biscornu another hour on it and it will be done and ready to make up soooo watch this space heheh.... also done a wee bit more on the tea room too
  and talking of tea if you have got this far wooo hooo .. I am going to put the kettle on ... what do you all want ????
Take care till next time and happy stitiching
love mouse xxxx

Ohhhhh To Bee Finished :)

Hi every one :) hope you have all had a wonderful Easter,  however you celebrated this special day :)
Well from my title you will have probably guessed I finished "To bee or not to bee" by LHN . yeahhhhhhh ... but not with out a visit from Mr Frog *sigh .... I went to bed on Friday night having  almost  done the lighter brown bit of the border and thought oooo got some time on my own Saturday am I shall get it done in no time HUMPF !!! famouse last squeaks !!!!
I got to the end to find I was ONE thread out eeeekkkkkkk !!!! so I had to unpick it all back to where I had left off .. If I had started at the other side there would have been only one triangle to unpick :( and to cap it all we had a tremendous thunder and lightning storm so I had switched every plug I could off (having been got by it before wasn't taking  any chances !) so  was desperately trying to get done before the light went outside ....

Finish no 9/15 

I was putting the last stitches in as the heavens opened ....


My DD was saying today that you will all fall out with me for getting so many of the crazies stitched and finished .... you won't will you ??? 
I just have a wee bit more time on my hands than most folks that's all with me not working atm :)


I spent today quietly in the conservatory listening to the birds chirping away merrily ..... it was a bit like deja vu as I was a woken by them at the dawn chorus .... and stitching again ..lol trying to get done on my Romatique SAL parts 7+8 I have only got 4 little roses to do now and then I can put it down till next month and get on with something else :) so here is my progress as off tea time tonight :)

Romantique sal parts 7+8 

I had to nip into town the other day as I am concerned I will run out of the main purple colour Anchor 96 that I am using so I went to the shop where I got the last lot from and I started a new skein today and there is a very subtle difference in the colour !!!!!!
 hopefully by the time it gets finished you won't really tell :)

The tea room LLN (I think ?? will check )

I have also been working on "The Tea Room" another of the crazies and here is my progress photo to show you . I just love the colours on this one .. I'm stitching it on buttermilk linen although you can't really tell in the picture and I am hoping to turn this into a wall hanging for the kitchen once done , well that's the intention hehehe :)

pink bell ???

Well I couldn't leave you with out showing a few photos of the latest additions to flower in my very small garden .... I am hoping one of you can help me with this one . I think it  is a blue bell turned pink ... but would love to know what it really is .... it just appeared the other year and there is only this one so far :(


then my peonies started to open up Friday / Saturday so I sneaked a photo of the first one to open . the others are about to burst any day now :) and finally the million bells have spread onto the hanging basket by my seat on the deck so I just had to snap a photo of that too :0

first peonie of 2011

by my seat on the deaking

So I think that is it for today  .... I shall now go and pop the kettle on for a last cuppa  before bed time as this little mouse is now very sleepy due to the chirpy birds this morning ..lol 
take care one and all and happy stitching .. till next time love mouse xxxxxx

Easter Bonnet :0

HI Every one :) just thought I would wish every one a happy Easter how ever you celebrate it :0
DD 1 had a competition at her work where all the teams were given a straw hat and some little chicks and told to decorate as they pleased ... DD got the job and me ..lol 
so I thought I would share with you the photos of said Easter Bonnet as well as some stitching updates too .... wouldn't be a post from me with out them heheheeh 

front of bonnet

side of bonnet

back of bonnet

It was really fun to make and the ears flashed pretty colours too .. wouldn't show up in the photos :(  Unfortunately her team didn't win .. apparently a hat did "that wasn't half as nice" words of her team leader ...  Ah well its the taking part that counts ..lol


We seem to be having a run of lovely weather and today was no exception .. all windows were opened ... my net at the back door was wafting in the slight breeze , washing was on the line , my very small pile of ironing was quickly despatched and I did try to hoover up in my bedroom but my hoover cut off .. *sigh what was a girl supposed to do in the mean time .. I know STITCH hahahahah ....
today is UFO day on Friendly stitchers and as you know I wield the wet noodle these days so I thought I'd better work on one of my UFO's so I pulled out "home of a needleworker" and set to .. listening to the birds chirpin, the lawn mowers mowing and general chit chat of Mr n Mrs Quackers who came to visit again :)

soooo here is what I got stitched to :)

Really quite pleased on my progress .. I think another couple of weeks and it should be done ????
When I put my needle down and had a restorative cup of tea I pulled out "to bee or not to bee " and did some more on that as well ... I think I may get this finished tomorrow ???

almost finished no 9/15

there is just 3 bees at the top and a couple of tiny ones dotted about and then the border to do ... I must ask .. has any body stitched this ??? on the chart there is charted a B in the curve of the flower just above  the To ... which is not actually on the photo of the chart  ????? 


Its getting late here again in the mouse house,  only time I seem to get the blog updates done ..lol so I shall leave you for now and hope that you have a lovely Easter break if I don't squeak to you sooner :)
take care and happy stitching 
love mouse xxx

A lot to show and tell :)

Hi Every one :)
cooo I have a lot to show and tell and I've only been quiet for a few days hehehe:)
first of all I must tell of some give aways I want to win but *sigh must let other peeps know of them heheheh 
first up is  pam who is having a give away so bob over to see her and join her merry band :)
then there is Angela who is having a blogaversary give away and there is a few choices on there for you to win 


So that is that bit over and done but I am sure there was some one else mmmmmm will think on that as I write ):

lilly of the Valley 

we have had some more glorious weather here at the mouse house , washing has been out on the line again ... done a wee bit of pottering in the garden , discovered that my lily of the Valley had flowered this year oooooo:) had to take a picture of that .... so there you go ..lol the million bells on the fence has spread open and up into the conifer at the bottom of the garden ... will bob pic up at the end :)


I can know show you my exchanges as they have arrived with their new owners :)

front of fob

back of fob

a stitched cupcake and other goodies

I did a scissor fob exchange on Friendly stitchers and my partner was Sandra :) and here is what I stitched for her .. the pattern was from a cross stitcher magazine from a few years back that Ally and I found while hunting for another pattern as well ... sooooo glad I've got a lot of back issues its amazing what they will come in handy for heheheheh .
I did a delicacy exchange with Outi that was arranged by Niina  and here is what I sent :) I stitched a cup cake (no calories heheh) on hand dyed polstitches fabric that looked like marbled cake ,sprinkled with beads and finished of with some cute pins :) and it only took a couple of days to get to her as well .. super fast post for a change ..lol 

LLN to bee or not to bee

I've been stitching away on the next parts of the Romantique SAL parts 7 &8  and here is the progress so far .... I am having to do this in daylight hours as i'm finding it very difficult to see close up atm with my light ... think I may need to wear my glasses ..lol I have been stitching away on to bee or not too bee as well in between other bits and bobs so here is this so far as well :) 

parts 7 n 8

Coooo this is a really long post hope you are still with it ??? or have you gone to put the kettle on ..lol I've been making a few cards as seem to have had quite a few birthdays recently and looking at the calender I need to make some more quick ..lol
At DD 1 's work they are having an Easter Bonnet competition so DD and I have been very busy these last few days perfecting her bonnet that her team leader has to wear ... it has to go into work on Thursday so I shall post a photo on then as you never know some body may actually read my blog from there ..lol
Ok I've now got a cuppa my self ..lol ..... I started to stitch on the design I mentioned last post and I am not happy with any of what I chose and how the design looks on fabric sooo I shall have another play over the next few days and see if I can tweek it a bit more to how I want .. seeing as I designed and liked it in the first place isn't it funny once you stitch it , it doesn't work ???


well there isn't much else to say ... still can't remember that other give away either *sigh ... oh well may be next post ??

view from my seat on the decking

million bells 

million bells in the conifer

our neighbours bird house in the conifer tree surrounded by the million bells :)

I shall leave you for tonight with a few more pictures of my flowers in my garden and next doors too ..... happy stitching and take care one and all till next time love mouse xxxxxx

Eight down and seven to gooooooo :)

Hi Every one :)
Yep you've guessed  it...... I've finished another of those  crazys :) 
Rose cottage by LHN .... finished it about an hour ish ago but had to go and get DD1 from work and get something to eat before I could show you :)


This one was another that I couldn't put down ... the others are calling me to get some stitches in but I just couldn't tear myself away from it heheheh.... except earlier on, as its our UFO day over on Friendly stitchers  I stitched on my long standing  biscornu "Amazing Grace " from Polstitchers and finished all the stitching on the front of the piece :)  which I will show you as well :)

The fabric behind Rose Cottage is what I am going to use to make it into a cushion :) I bought the fabric ages ago before I had even bought the pattern etc and knew it would come in useful one day heheheheh ;) I am stitching the biscornu on a piece of silkweavers  fabric and it is lovely to work on as well :) 

Rose Cottage CCN

Amazing grace design by Polstitches 

SOOOOOO I have only seven more to stitch and its  only in April :) think I may just make the deadline for next year ??? heheheh 




On a funny note I came home today to find Mr & Mrs Quackers in my garden and I actually was able to get to my camera and take some photos  wooo hooo so I shall show you these now :) I even threw them some oatalisious bread down, but they weren't bothered ... I think that that had come to check out the new waterfall that DH has now got up and running ..... which sounds lovely from my stitching chair in my room :)
Right, it is getting late and I need another cuppa  before I go to snooze as I have come down with a sore throat and  funny nose .. think the hay fever has kicked in earlier this year :( 
so I shall leave you tonight and catch up with you all again soon :)
take care and happy stitching 
love mouse xxxx

Mr Quackers 

Mrs Quackers

A finish and a Finish hehehe

HI Every one :) oooo got some stitchy news  and photos for you :)

Competition piece in the final :)

first of all ... my competition piece for the Victoria sampler group has got into the final :) oooo happy dance  here:) thanks to all who voted for me :) we shall know on Friday who the winner is.... I am just soooo  happy I got into the final :)


secondly... I've finished another crazy piece necessaries sampler by LHN this was a lovely one to stitch and only took me a couple of days to finish from when I had started it earlier on in the year ... so that's 7 down , 8 to go and a few of these are almost there :):):)


and not only is it finished in the stitching sense but I've also finished it into my box lid :)  I spent the morning waxing the box and wadding the canvas then lacing the stitching to it .. and considering its the second time of trying lacing myself I am quite proud on how well its turned out :)

finished 12/04/11

made into the box lid :)

I have just got to put a thicker cord around the piece to make it more cosy :) I am lining the box at the bottom with a lovely brown spotty fabric :) then I've got another two smaller boxes to figure out which pieces to use on them soon .
I've done some more work on my Rose cottage today as well only another three sides and then that is finished .. I'm going to make it into a cushion , I've already got the backing fabric ready so am on a roll ...lol 

Rose Cottage CCN

Today we didn't have as nice as weather as we have been having but it did almost dry my washing and DH was able to start the Waterfall for our pond  so here is a peek so far :) and finally I shall leave you with a picture of the million bells that trails across ours and our lovely neighbours fence just by the side of the pond :)
Till next time happy stitching and I shall squeak to you all soon 
love mouse xxxxx

waterfall by D

Million bells just about to flower

Its me again :)

HI Everyone :) isn't it hard to think of title for your blog post or is it just me ??? ..lol
Today has dawned yet again sunny with a slight breeze perfect for the washing to blow on the line again :) and as I was in the house on my own I was able to get some exchanges finished and started and finished ..lol Unfortunately I cannot show you ,as my partners do look at my blog  sooooo I shall have to keep you in suspense for awhile :(


Yesterday I took a trip to the local garden centre for a browse round and to go to the patchwork shop there too ... I bought some goodies as you do but can't show you them either as some of them are for an exchange as well ....  soo not doing to well here are we heheheh 


Well I have got some bits to show you ...:) I have been working on my stitcher's book with the next part of Vals sal from the friendly stitchers  :)

My Stitchers book with Vals SAl 

It just fits on the first page PHEW ..lol   I can't make my mind up whether to put the stitches names on underneath or to write them down and pop in a pocket in it once done ????


I have been designing again and I am going to finish it off and stitch, then show you and if you wish a copy then just email me;) ..... I think you will like as it involves a cuppa heheheh ;) I have been talking to new friends and its amazing how much peeps like a cuppa or two :)


Hopefully tomorrow DH and I will be tidying up our small garden and fixing one or two bits on the summer house (very tiny only fits the guinea pig cages in ..lol) if the weather holds that is ... we woke up today to the courting ducks on the garage at the bottom of our garden ... they have been a pair for about three years now and wander up and down our front gardens as well .. quite comical to watch really 

Mr & Mrs Duck :)
I was pegging out the washing this am when I was showered with white petals that looked like huge snow flakes coming down .. took me a while to realise it was my pear tree blossom .. well it was early and I hadn't had my cuppa .. well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it heheheheh ;0 soo I grabbed my camera and took a photo before all the blossom disappeared off the tree....

Pear Blossom (conference pears)

And so I shall leave you tonight with a picture that greets me at the moment every time I look out the kitchen window ... isn't it fabulous .. this is the best year for this and I am not entirely sure how you properly look after it either .. must have some green fingers too ..lol 

not too sure of the name of this
 

So this is all for now folks :) hope everyone has a lovely weekend of stitching etc .. will catch up with you all soon and hopefully have some more stitching piccies for you next time ... I shall make sure my needles work a little faster heheheh 

take care one and all 

love mouse xxxxxx

Fabulous weekend and lots of stitching

Hi Every one :0 

Hope you all have been good and got lots of stitching updates etc to show me now I am back :)

Well where to start ????  Thursday teatime Ally arrived safe and sound from her long journey to the mouse house from hers , she kept me up to date the full length of the journey of the weather and the views and the large pheasant she spotted ..lol

we spent the evening catching up with all the news and what we had been stitching along with the odd cuppa or two ;0

Friday we were both pampered at the college where DD2 is studying hairdressing , I came out sporting a very curly do and Ally became a red head ... they needed us to be models so we were :) We spent the afternoon sorting out stuff to take to Gillies for the weekend and got everything ready before we sat down to do some more on our crazy challenges :) along with a cuppa or two as usual .... the kettle was always hot hehehe

Saturday dawned bright and breezy as we packed the car up to go across the Pennines to Gillies newish pad ... we were on an adventure as I had never driven that route before so Ally kept me on the right road with the sat nav as well .. the scenery was wonderful or so I was kept being told ..lol.

We arrived safely and within a few mins Karen had also made it, group hugs all round before we got sorted and on our way to Gillies even better new pad ..lol

It took us another 10 mins or so to get there and BOY was it worth it .. absolutely fabulous place and scenery to boot ....

The food all weekend was top notch , Ally made her famous trifle which went down very well with only scrapings left in the main bowl ..lol, Gillie and WT were fantastic hosts even though they had just moved in :) 

we all did a show and tell after lunch and then continued through the day stitching and chatting and eating and drinking wine and not a drop was spilt or a stitch in the wrong place .......:) Ally finished a long standing project which I can't spoil for you sorry ..lol. Karen crocheted  me some lovely little flowers for some future  projects and I worked on my garden pleasures which ..... is now FINISHED :) 6 down another 9 to go whoop whoop :)

The weather was better than expected and Sunday was spent doing more stitching and making friends with the local animals (ally is a horse fanatic;) before we reluctantly had to make our way back home to our respective pads :(

Monday ,Ally and I stitched on LHN Needlework shop  as I had moaned to her she wouldn't let me stitch on mine till she had caught up ..lol ... Tuesday was spent making sure everything was sorted and packed away ready for Ally going home this afternoon ... she is still on her journey home as I squeak to you as her train was late leaving Lancaster station :(

Soooo If you have made it this far YIPPPEEE ...lol here are the good bits the photo's .... 

so I would advise putting the kettle on , having a browse while brewing and I shall catch up with you all later :)

happy stitching every one and I shall squeak to you all soon.take care :)

love mouse xxxxx

ps Ally is almost home safe now :)

tea any one ???

romantique parts 5 n 6

View :)

mouse house :)

Ally making friends

whoop finished :)

mine on the left Ally's to the right

Ally n me stitch along

progress so far on this one :)